In a recent interview promoting his new film “The Woman in Black,” former “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe admitted that he has never seen “Star Wars.”
“I know, and now this information is going to be out there in the world,” Radcliffe tells Moviefone.
“I saw ‘The Phantom Menace,’ and everyone’s like, ‘You saw that one! You didn’t see the originals?!’ I know! I was ten! I didn’t know any better!”
“I think, actually, somebody is planning on getting the Blu-rays for me. Here’s my opinion, though. Not on the films or the filmmaking, because I’m sure they’re amazing and incredible. And I know that I would love them because I’m a geek — so I would definitely get into them.”
Radcliffe then goes on to compare the two franchises, explaining how they’re different yet also the same:
“What ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Potter’ have in common is a huge devoted fan base. Where they differ, I think — and this is my perception, I may be completely wrong — I think there is a slightly more balanced split between the sexes in the fan base of ‘Potter.'”
“I associate ‘Star Wars’ as being a predominantly male thing. And I think ‘Potter’ is split more evenly. The difference is also that any kind of a franchise where a world is created will then engender a generation of nerds.”
When asked what it’s like being a nerd, Radcliffe had nothing but positive things to say:
“Fantastic! Nerds are the best things in the world. I think of myself as a nerd. What was the Bill Gates thing? ‘Be nice to nerds, you’ll probably be working for them one day.’ But I think the difference is because ‘Potter’ started out as a book, it’s created a generation of literary nerds in a way that ‘Star Wars’ perhaps didn’t.”
“But, basically, it’s all the same. I mean, I do think of ‘Potter’ as being this generation’s ‘Star Wars.’ It’s something that an entire generation as lost themselves in and it’s a meticulously created, detailed world. So I do think that’s the closest thing to compare it to.”